3 Months!*

This is the 90th post of a daily image. Three months. I have to say I'm impressed with myself.

More Spring Time Zen*

Spring Time Zen*

I brought some Spring inside the house today. Clipped some daffodils and some tree branches. Bringing Spring inside added an entirely new Zen feel.

Peeks Around 1*

This is the first of what will be a series of peeks around our home. This is a shelf Shawn installed above the fish tank in our living room. There's a few picture frames and a LOT of plant clippings rooting. I love my home and the sanctuary that it provides. Each little corner holds something meaningful and special.

Back to Nature*

Back to nature and its glory. Plus a little playing with some texture and borders.

It's Been Too Long*

It's been too long since I posted a kitty photo. At least a week! Miss Lucy Poo playing with her mousey on the stairs.

And More Spring Garden*

More Spring Garden*

The hyacinth are blooming. Now if it would only get warm!

Karmafest Henna*

My henna from Karmafest. I couldn't stop staring at it all day today.

Karmafest 2009*

Scenes from Karmafest 2009

First Day of Spring*

Spring arrived yesterday at 7:44 am. Finally ... Spring, although it was pretty cold out. But Spring is about so much more than the weather becoming warmer. The Spring Equinox brings a balance of day and night. It's about new beginnings, growth and things coming to life. It's the birth in the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. It's a chance for us to find balance, to let go of that which is dark in side of us, find the light and come to life. It's a chance for us to birth new ideas, hopes and inspirations.

Norouz Mobarak!*

Norouz Mobarak!! Happy New Year! Happy Ostara! The first day of Spring, woo hoo!! It's also Persian New Year and Ostara. It's all about new life springing forth and it's a celebration.

If there is anyone that knows how to throw a good celebration, it's Persians. Being 1/2 Persian, I definitely inherited this ability, if I do say so myself. So did my 1/2 Persian hubby.

We attended a party last night hosted by the fabulous Natasha of Pure Prana Yoga Studio. The partay was for Karmafest and since it was also Norouz and since Natasha is Persian, there were yummy Persian eats and treats. She had the Haft Sin set up which is a traditional table setting of various objects symbolizing among other things life and new beginnings.

It was a great time!

The Jasmine*

Meet the Jasmine. The Jasmine is about 4 or so years old. A few years ago I decided I wanted a Moon Garden. A garden whose flowers bloom at night.

Jasmine has little white flowers that when they bloom in the evening create the most amazing fragrance. Often the entire plant will be covered in blooms and you can smell the scent from several feet away. Jasmine can get pretty big too. Someday I want a hedge of Jasmine.

More Buds*

Finally, a warm sunny day. A chance to get outside and capture some more buds. Leaves are popping on this tree, the crocus have pretty much come and gone and the daffodils are blooming now.

Hurting*

Ok, so clearly I'm not present with the contents of the veggie drawer in the fridge. Yes, that is celery. Hurting, limp, floppy celery. Just how are you supposed to store celery anyway?

Chocolate Bunny*

Shawn's mom got us a couple of chocolate bunnies. They aren't going to make it to Easter.

Another Member of Our Household*

Meet the Wandering Jew plant. There could be more than one, I've honestly lost track.

The original Wandering Jew was a plant I gave Shawn for his birthday about 3 or 4 years ago. Since then it has been cut back and divided into many, many plantings. There are clippings of it everywhere. It's planted in with some of the larger trees.

The Wandering Jew is one of our many, very, very prolific plants.

Old Stand By*

Yes another Lucy pic. They're easy and abundant. Plus I'm very present with the kitties.

Soon though, I want to take my daily photos to a new level or maybe just a different level. I want there to be some more creativity behind them, something not so stand by and easy. Soon, I am also going to put some design on this blog. I mean I am a graphic designer for god's sake. But if I waited to start something until I was 100% completely ready, I might have never accomplished anything. So the art will come, in more ways than one.

In the meantime, even though this is another photo of Lucy, I really like how there is black, white and color. And the top is so blown out it looks like she is cut out.

Blurry*

Everything was blurry this evening. It was either too dark or because of the cocktails.

Another Step Closer*

Another step closer to spring ... although they are calling for snow showers tonight and tomorrow morning. At least we get to see wonderful color. It might be cold but it's not all gray.

Just Playing*

Just playing around in photoshop.

That Little Face*

Weird freaky creature ...
















Sweet, little Poo.

Tree Buds*

Everything changes so quickly. Take some time to notice everything around us coming to life. It keeps us grounded. It keeps us present. And it's beautiful.

Color Burst*

Oh my god ... the color. More crocus popped today and Shawn planted some very colorful pansies. I take a lot of photos of the gardens and plants as they make their way through the seasons. This is just the beginning. There are daffodils, tulips, lillies, hyacinth, azalea, iris, hydrenga (sp?) and roses. As some begin to end their cycle for this year, others will just be blooming while still others just begin to bud.

Since I take so many photos of the gardens and plants I try to mix things up some, to get as much color in one shot as I can, try different angles, etc... Today I got the crocus with the pansies in the background and the pansies with the crocus in the background. I just love all the color!! To be able to see this and experience it makes days like this worth it. How would we ever know this amazing color if we didn't know the complete opposite of it?

Popped*

The crocus popped today! Well actually yesterday but it was dark by the time I got home so they had curled back up to sleep. That will all change tomorrow since it's time to spring forward. It will still be light out when I get home right after work.

I took these shots of the crocus this morning about 11:30. By 4:00, buds that were just starting to show or that weren't even visible this morning had started to pop.

I just love watching all the plants wake up and go through their cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth.

The pink rosebush has signs of life. Little leaf buds are starting to show. This rosebush is pretty spectacular when it blooms. Just about 6 weeks to go ...

Friday Evening*

Note: Hubby drank some of these:)

Lotus Mudra*

Longing*

Here's the Mr. and Lucy, watching me shovel the snow. You can barely see Lucy, shadow kitty.

They sit at the door or in the window watching what's going on outside. Perhaps they are longing to be out there. Or maybe they know, in the house with the people that give us food is the place to be.

Every now and then Mr. will dart out the deck door and make a beeline for the neighbors' deck. He can get 2 houses down before there's no more deck. It's a total show and pain in the ass since it usually happens at a very inconvenient time.

Lucy has never been outside, so she doesn't really know what it's all about.

But Tiki Baby gets to go outside. She is old and let's say, a little stocky, so she can't move fast. We take her out on the deck or into the backyard where it's fenced. She loves it.

The other cats sit in the window longing and very bitter.